Electric system.



F. M. SLOUGH.

ELECTRIC SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 13, 1912.

Patented Nov. 11, 1916.

W/ Tn ass as lnven'iol" Fran/f M month srnirns FRANK M. SLSJUGH, @F ELYZELIA, QHIG, ASSIGNUR GAEtFOBD TIIANVIACTUTIING SUMPAETY, @F ELYEPJIL'A, @HTQ, A CGBEQPUATIUN 0F OHIQ.

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Specification of Z'uetters Patented NLDV. 14, rate,

. pllcation filed J 111 13, 1912. Serial No. 709,137.

Elyria, in the countyoi Lorain and State of @hio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in'Electric Systems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to electric systems, and especially to systems adapted -for use in isolated pl; es or in places where the attendant is partially or totally unskilled in the art of managing such plants. l? or er:- ample, in li hting systems adapted to be used at country residences, or upon farms or other isolated places where there is no attendant, or where those overseeing the operation of the plant are unskilled in the handling of such apparatus, I aim to make the operation of the plant automatic, so that the only attention required will be the supplyfoi fuel to the prime mover and of such other attentions as are required to keep the apparatus in working order.

In general, my invention relates to improvements in the system illustrated, described and claimed in my application #704,505, filed June 19th, 1912, such application describing the needs of such a system and the faults of the systems constituting the prior art.

The object of my invention and the invention itself will be better understood from a description of the embodiment illustrated in the drawing.

The figure illustrates an embodiment of my invention.

Referring now to the drawing and to the particular embodiment of: my invention illustrated therein, at P is shown a prime mover and at D a source of current for charging an accumulator The source of current D may consist of a dynamo electric machine, and the accumulator eta storage battery. I prefer to use a or gasolene engine as the prime mover.

At E are shown a number of electroresponsive devices, such as incandescent lamps, which are adapted to be energized by current from the accumulator'B. When the accumulator is first connected to the dynamo, the same is driver. as a motor by the current from the battery, and when so -driven, starts the prime mover through some power transmitting means, such as pulleys C and F and an interconnecting belt A. W hen once started, the prime mover will actuate the dynamo, which will generate current to charge the accumulator.

At G I show an electro-responsive device, which may be a voltmeter or other suitable device of this character.

H, L, M, N and Q are circuit controlling means, such as electro-magnets, whose functions will be described in the description of the operation.

lit is an element which operates only after a certain length of time, such as a thermal device, here shown as consisting in part of a winding of high resistance. S is another relay whose functions will be described in the description or the operation and U is a special signal device.

The embodiment of my invention and the various parts thereof, as well as other functions will be clear from a description oi the operation which is as follows :-The accumulator B will be normally connected to the electro-responsive devices through the conductors l, 2, 3 and 4, whereby they will be actuated when turned on. The electroresponsive device is normally connected across the battery through the conductors 15678-contact 9armature 10 conductors l112 and 13. The member 14, which is here shown as a movable needle, will be moved in response to the condition of the charge in the accumulator, such as for example, the variations of the voltage therein, and will be so arranged that for a predetermined condition the member M will engage the contact 15, closing a switch W. This completes a circuit as follows:negative pole of battery13-16M-l5-l7 relay l8-l91 to positive pole of battery, energizing the relay 0, which draws up the, armature 20, closing a switch 2021 and thereby a-circuit as follows:negative pole of battery22-23switch K2 l- 202l25coil 26 of relay M-Q'Z-conductor 5 to positive pole of battery. The winding 26 being energized, the armature 10 is attracted, interrupting the shunt 8ll about the resistance V, and throwing said resistance in circuit with the winding 9' oi the device G. (lwing to this change in condition, the switch l/V will be closed all the tighter and the condition will be such that a substantial change must be made in the condition of the charge of the'battery before the switch W will be opened again. For example, if the device G consists of a voltmeter or other current actuated device,

the resistance V being thrown into circuit with the device G, the current flowing therefrom will be considerably less than when the device V is shunted and the needle 14 will be thrown nearer or harder toward the zero point. The object of this will be described later. The armature 10 will engage the front contact 30, completing a circuit as follows :negative pole of battery 1312-11103031-Winding 32 of the relay L33relay Hconductor 19-1 to the positive pole of the battery, energizing both the relays L and H. The energization of the relay L, however, will not be suliicient for it to attract its armature 34, so that the switch 3 1-35 will remain closed. The relay H, however, attracts its armature 36, closing the switch 3637 and connecting the accumulator to the source I) through the following circuit :positive pole of battery 38-39D40winding 41 of relay L 42-3736433to negative pole of battery.

When the armature 10 was pulledup, a circuit was completed through the device R as follows :negative pole of battery-13 1211-1030-44R4546-5 to positive pole of battery, The current heats up the winding, which heats up the two pieces of substance 50 and 51, whose coeflicients of expansion are different, so that in heating the bar will bend toward the electromagnet end in the well known manner. After a predetermined time, the bar 51 engages the.

member 46, interrupting the circuit 4546 and closing the switch 4651. In the meantime, current will be flowing from the accumulator B through the winding 41 of the relay L to the source D, energizing the same and operating it as a motor to start the prime mover. Current flowing in this direction will act differentially to the current in the winding 32, so that the armature 34; will not be attracted. If, however, the prime mover starts the dynamo electric machine and the same begins to charge the accumulator, the current through the winding 41 will be reversed, acting accumulatively with the current through the winding 32 and attracting the armature 34 to open the switch 3435. Should the dynamo electric machine D fail to start the engine before the time required for the action of the device R, which may be any value predetermined, a circuit will be completed as follows, upon the closing of the switch 4650 of the device R:positive pole of battery-15 4:65 1N--522 120 24 K-2 322 to. negative pole of battery, energizing the magnet N and locking the switch 4650. A circuit will also be completed from the positive pole of battery-15-46515334 35--54winding 55 of the magnet N25 of battery. The current in the windings 55 and 26 will act difierentially, neutralizing the effect of each other, so that the armature 10 drops back, closing the .switch 910 and interrupting the circuit of the relay H,

which will let go its armature, disconnecting the accumulator from the dynamo electric machine D and preventing the useless effort of the accumulator and the dynamo to start an inoperative engine, thereby savso ing energy and wear and tear upon the system, which frequently results in serious damage thereto. At the same time, a circuit will be closed through the relay S as follows :positive pole of battery546 515334-3560S61 2l2024.- K2322to negative pole of battery B, so that the relay S will be energized, pulling up the armature 64and closing a switch 64-65 in the circuit of the alarm device U, 9t)

ply additional fuel to the engine or take other steps to place it in operative condi tion, after which he operates the key K, interrupting the circuit of the relays S, N and M and restoring the condition of the system to normal, whereupon the cycle will be 1% completedwith the exception that this time the machine D will start the engine and the. dynamo will begin to charge the accumulator before the device R is operated, opening the switch 34 and 35 through the accumula- 1% tive action of the windings of the relay L with the result that the differential winding of the relay Mwillnot be energized, since its circuit will be interrupted at the switch 3534. As the charging proceeds, the con- 11G dition of the charge of the battery changes until it has become such, (and this condition may be predetermined) that the switch W is broken, interrupting the circuit of the relay 0, which interrupts the circuits of other relays, restoring the condition to normal and shunting the resistance device V. Again, upon the shunting of this device, the vconditions in the circuit of the device G will be such that there will be a wide separation between the contacts 14 and 15 of the switch 14. This separation being wide, it will be considerable time before the switch Wis operated again.

It frequently happens thatthe farmer 12 does not desire that the machine shall be operated at a certain time, for instance after hehas retired, so that he desires to control the system manually. This may be accomplished by operating the switch X, which closes contacts in parallel with the contacts 14 and 15, starting the operation of the system, which, after it has once been started, will act automatically in the way described.

While I have shown a voltmeter at G, it will be apparent that any suitable device may be employed and that any suitable time acting element or any device which requires a certain period of time for its operation may be used at R. In fact, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the form and details of the embodiment disclosed without departing from the spirit of the invention. I have disclosed this embodimentsimply for the purpose of clearly illustrating my invention.

I claim .1. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for charging said accumulatorfcircuit conductors for connecting said accumulator and said charging means, a. relay controlling said circuit conductors, a circuit for said relay, an electroresponsive device responsive to the condition of the charge of said accumulator controlling the circuit of said relay, a current moditying device in the circuit of said responsive device, means for effectively removing said current modifying device from said circuit, mechanism controlling said means and means responsive to the operative or inoperative condition of the charging means controlling said last named means.

2. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, a dynamo electric ma chine for charging said accumulator, a prime mover adapted to drivesaid dynamo electric machine, said prime mover adapted to be started by said dynamo electric machine when said machine is operated by current from said accumulator,'means for connecting said accumulator to said dynamo electric machine when the charge of said accumulator reaches a predetermined condition, a relay controlling said means and a differential winding upon said relay controlling the disconnection of said accumulator from said machine, said dili'erential winding being energized when said prime mover is inoperative.

3. In an electric system, the combination of an accumulator, means for charging said accumulator, mechanism responsive to the condition of the charge of said accumulator controlling the connection of said accumulator to said means, a relay controlling said mechanism, a diiierential winding upon said relay controlling the disconnection of said accumulator from said charging means and means automatically actuating after a predetermined length of time, means controlling the energization of said differential winding.

4. In combination, a dynamo-electric machine, an accumulator, a circuit for connecting said accumulator to said dynamo-electric machine, an electric switch controlling said circuit, a voltmeter relay controlling said switch and including electromagnetic means and an electric switch, a spring normally tending to close said switch and restrained therefrom by said electromagnetic means,

said electromagnetic means being responsive'to the condition of the charge of said accumulator and means for diminishing the control of said last named switch by said electromagnetic means, operable when said switch is closed.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I FRANK M. SLOUGI-I. "Witnesses:

EDGAR A. SPURR,

1F. 0. Itrcrmr. 

